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Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), left, and Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Ok.) speaks about health care reform promises made and not kept by President Obama during a news conference in Washington.
John Shinkle

Digg/Buzz It Up

POLITICO 44

For critics of the Democrats’ $849 billion health care bill, this may be the ultimate irony: millions of dollars set aside so the government can help teach citizens how to handle their own money better.

The funding is part of a broader, $375 million program aimed at promoting responsible lifestyles — a five-year plan to fund state efforts to educate adolescents on abstinence, contraception and other “adult preparation subjects” such as healthy relationships, increased child-parent communication and “financial literacy.”

You can imagine how Sen. Jim DeMint feels.

“The federal government is never going to encourage personal responsibility and never has,” the South Carolina Republican said. “Personal responsibility is a good principle — but not the government doing it.”

In a document circulating in the hopes of defeating the measure — and the health care bill in general — aides to Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) say: “The federal government, which is now $12 trillion in debt and riddled with hundreds of billions of dollars of waste, management, duplication and ineffective programs, has little credibility educating Americans about financial responsibility.”

Supporters say it’s critical to teach young people how to manage their money better and that it’s unfair to characterize the program as the federal government “lecturing” citizens on fiscal responsibility, particularly because the programs would ultimately be run by states and communities. And they say that Republicans themselves used similar language when the GOP-controlled Congress created a financial literacy commission in 2003.

“Financial literacy is one of the biggest problems we have in this country,” said Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.). “Look at what happened in our stock markets, look at what happened in our economy with mortgages; people are indebting themselves into something more than what they can afford.”

Critics say the same thing about the government, of course.

The nation’s borrowing is about to surpass the statutory limit of $12.1 trillion, and Congress will have to increase that limit, probably well beyond $13 trillion, to ensure the country meets its obligations to creditors overseas.

Congress has been forced to cobble together a gigantic omnibus appropriations bill to keep the government from shutting down. In addition, a hodgepodge of different tax breaks is set to expire before the end of the year unless Congress prevents that from happening with last-minute extenders legislation.

Congress’s own money troubles are nothing new; these fiscal problems and massive bills to keep government operating happen under both Democratic and Republican control of Congress — and the debt limit was increased seven times under President George W. Bush.

“The federal government is never going to encourage personal responsibility and never has,” the South Carolina Republican said. “Personal responsibility is a good principle — but not the government doing it.”

In a document circulating in the hopes of defeating the measure — and the health care bill in general — aides to Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) says: “The federal government, which is now $12 trillion in debt and riddled with hundreds of billions of dollars of waste, management, duplication and ineffective programs, has little credibility educating Americans about financial responsibility.”

what a crock of crap! these same republicans see no problem in throwing hundreds of million dollars at abstinence only sex education here and abroad though. sorry, the GOP just has no credibility on any of the fiscal issues of the day and for them to now whine about a "nanny state" is just more of the same ol'bull...

In a document circulating in the hopes of defeating the measure — and the health care bill in general — aides to Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) says: “The federal government, which is now $12 trillion in debt and riddled with hundreds of billions of dollars of waste, management, duplication and ineffective programs, has little credibility educating Americans about financial responsibility.”

No kidding. Of course this bunch want people to learn abstinence, financial responsibility etc.. I'm not saying responsibility is bad thing, but when it comes from them, I always wonder what the real motive. Of course everyone will have to be 'responsible' and 'abstain' from many many things in order to pay for the trillions of $$ they are taking out of our pockets.

In a document circulating in the hopes of defeating the measure — and the health care bill in general — aides to Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) says: “The federal government, which is now $12 trillion in debt and riddled with hundreds of billions of dollars of waste, management, duplication and ineffective programs, has little credibility educating Americans about financial responsibility.”

No kidding. Of course this bunch want people to learn abstinence, financial responsibility etc.. I'm not saying responsibility is bad thing, but when it comes from them, I always wonder what the real motive. Of course everyone will have to be 'responsible' and 'abstain' from many many things in order to pay for the trillions of $$ they are taking out of our pockets.

The avg bureaucrat makes $ 120 k inclu benes, 2 x's the avg pvt worker. Yet, in my years in DC, most I saw were strictly On the Clock, (& not that hard working either). In the Midwest, in the pvt sector, I saw the opposite.

Insur Co's CAN do the job, just give direct aid to the needy in the form of HC Savings Accounts.

The avg bureaucrat makes $ 120 k inclu benes, 2 x's the avg pvt worker. Yet, in my years in DC, most I saw were strictly On the Clock, (& not that hard working either). In the Midwest, in the pvt sector, I saw the opposite.

Insur Co's CAN do the job, just give direct aid to the needy in the form of HC Savings Accounts.

The government has absolutely no right to take taxpayers' money to tell them how to manage their money - the majority of us KNOW how to handle OUR money - it's the government that can't do diddly-squat with their budget (that comes from our taxes!) -

Well, Monday morning - two weeks before Christmas, and the right is full of hatred and fear - Boy, the republicans left their base in a bad way - they don't even feel they deserve being happy over Christmas..... kind of makes one wonder, doesn't it!

It's not fear it's outrage that a bunch of people who show no financial responsibility, should think they will teach it. Of course if they can teach the young abstinence (self-denial -- not necessarily sexual) and financial responsibility, hopefully they can assure their irresponsible spending will have a funding source in the future. There is always pork attached to a bill, but I wonder if the agenda with this pork is to make sure the bill is paid for.

I'm independent, I go right on some things, and left on others, I haven't trusted this current administration since the campaign, and I don't trust the Dems running Congress.

They shouldn't print things like this so early in the morning. I damn near choked on my coffee at the thought of these buffoons in Congress trying to tell citizens how to handle their money. We now have tent cities, 17% real unemployment, Multi trillion dollar debt, and these jokers are just getting started. How's our new "budget to nowhere going for you?

Personal finance class should be part of the general education requirement at public universities and community colleges. One class is enough and it doesn't need federal funding to accomplish this.

The Federal Gov't is giving handouts left and right. The only thing I learned from Obama is that I'm stupid for having an excellent credit score. I should have gotten a home equity line of credit and then I could have had Obama bail me out. If I lose my job, I don't have to find a new one...because Obama is going to pay for all my stuff, right??? There's a gov't job in there somewhere for me.

Maybe if public schools spent less time on global warming and teaching children hymns to Obama they could slip in some financial literacy courses. However, the math is becoming simplier under Democrats because there is ever shrinking income and increased taxes to take away what's left. Let's start each class on how much tax people pay on purchases, payroll and the like.

Maybe if public schools spent less time on global warming and teaching children hymns to Obama they could slip in some financial literacy courses. However, the math is becoming simplier under Democrats because there is ever shrinking income and increased taxes to take away what's left. Let's start each class on how much tax people pay on purchases, payroll and the like.